Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerOsi Umenyiora's hip specialist wanted to do surgery on the spot.

I was somewhat reluctant to do this entry and follow-up story because I didn't want to get into a media semantics battle. After all, nothing drives me nuts more than when we become the story. We're not the story; the story is the story.

But there's a notion spreading through back channels right now that the hip specialist who examined Osi Umenyiora recently didn't "schedule" surgery, as I wrote in Tuesday morning's entry. Finally, we have someone willing to talk on the record about the situation, though it did take plenty of prodding and a refusal to take no for an answer.

The person on the record is Umenyiora's agent, Tony Agnone, who had the following to say when I repeatedly questioned him as to whether surgery had been "scheduled" for his client.

"(Dr. Marc) Philippon wanted to perform surgery immediately, right after he looked at the MRI, yes," Agnone said by phone. "He looked at his schedule for that day and told Osi, 'I have some time this afternoon and can do this right away.' He was getting ready to do it."

So I guess what we're left with is a philosophical debate as to when something is actually "scheduled." (Kind of like trying to figure out when a pizza becomes a pizza.) According to Agnone, Philippon was prepared to do it that afternoon during Umenyiora's visit to the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. Does that qualify as scheduling? Or did he actually have to write it down somewhere or fill out a form?

We could debate that all day, but the more important part of Agnone's statement to me is the confirmation of where Philippon stood on the issue. He clearly recommended surgery, though as I noted in Tuesday morning's story, he eventually signed off on Umenyiora's attempting to play through the pain because he agreed Umenyiora couldn't hurt himself any further.

Now, as for who and what stood between Philippon's recommendation of surgery and Umenyiora's eventual decision, we're still unclear. Was it Umenyiora? Agnone? The Giants? Or a combination of all three? Agnone wouldn't touch that one, saying only the sides came to a mutual agreement to forgo surgery for now and attempt to manage the pain as the two-time Pro Bowl selection has done in the past.

Agnone did say he foresees a work stoppage next year when the collective bargaining agreement expires, and he views such an event as a perfect time for his client to undergo and fully recover from surgery.